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Cannabis legalization is spreading like wildfire across North America, and as the industry quickly balloons into a multi-billion-dollar market, the number of celebrities partnering up with pot businesses is growing every day. At first, celebrity cannabis products were solely the domain of outspoken weed lovers like Snoop Dogg, Tommy Chong, and Willie Nelson, but as the industry continues to expand, a larger and more diverse group of celebrities are unveiling their own weed products and collaborations.
Celebrities from every walk of life — including Virgin founder Richard Branson, comedian Whoopi Goldberg, and model Amber Rose — have unveiled business deals with the cannabis industry, and now actress Gwyneth Paltrow, who recently told Howard Stern that she “sometimes” smokes weed, is the newest addition to the list of celebs looking to cash in on this lucrative market.
Paltrow's lifestyle brand Goop just announced a partnership with cannabis dispensary chain MedMen to endorse a new line of marijuana products. “It is a perfect partnership for us,” said Daniel Yi, Senior Vice President for MedMen, to Forbes. “Historically speaking the industry has been male dominated on both the consumer and business side, so it just makes sense. For Goop to be proactive in partnering with a cannabis brand — it only helps in eliminating the stigma. It’s a milestone.”
MedMen's dispensary in Venice, California currently has a Goop-approved wall offering vape pens, cannabis-infused teas, and edibles, along with CBD bath bombs and transdermal patches. The store also provides a recipe for a “Up In Smoke” cocktail combining mescal, aquavit, cannabis leaf juice, and CBD. These products are currently only available at the Venice location, but are expected to go on sale at other MedMen dispensaries later this summer.
The partnership is focused on medical applications of cannabis, and not so much on recreational enjoyment. “The way we talk about the plant as a product is not about getting high,” Yi said to Forbes. “It’s about a lifestyle and incorporating it into a wellness regime. It’s about giving people a healthier option and educating them.” To this end, Goop's website features an interview with psychiatrist Dr. Julie Holland, who believes that cannabis can help treat symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.
Jean Godfrey-June, Goop's executive beauty editor told Forbes that “taking down stress is a big CBD claim, and certainly, a less-stressed person is more attractive than a super-stressed one. Feeling better definitely translates to looking better in most cases, so CBD’s calming, analgesic properties have serious beauty and wellness potential.”
